164.“我必临到你那里，如同贼一样。我几时临到你那里，你也决不能知道”表属于敬拜的事物将从他们那里被夺走，他们却不知是何时被夺走，如何被夺走的。经上之所以说“主必如同贼一样临到”，是因为敬拜的外在良善从敬拜已死之人那里被夺走。死的敬拜也有某种良善之物，因为他们思想神和永生；只是缺乏真理的良善并非良善，要么是邀功的，要么虚伪的，而邪恶与虚假则如同贼一样把它夺走了。这在尘世是一步一步进行的，死后则完全被夺走，人却不知是何时被夺走，如何被夺走的。“祂必如同贼一样临到”被归于主，但就属灵之义而言，这句话的意思是，地狱要将它偷走。这与圣言中的这些说法很相似，即：神恶待人、报应他、报仇、发怒，把他引入试探。而事实上，地狱才会做这些事，因为经上是照着以这种方式显现在这个人面前的表象如此说的。做买卖的才干和银子若不善加利用，以致一无所得，就从这人那里被夺走，这一点可见于马太福音（25:26-30）和路加福音（19:24-26）。“买卖”和“赚取”表示为人的自我获取真理与良善。
由于良善与真理从那些敬拜已死之人被夺走，如同在暗处被贼偷走，故在圣言中，这种事有时被比作贼，如以下经文：
看哪！我来像贼一样。那警醒、看守衣服、免得赤身而行的有福了！（启示录16:15）
所以，你们要警醒，因为不知道你们的主什么时候来到。但这一点你们要晓得，家主若知道窃贼什么时候来，就必警醒，不容他的房屋被破门而入。（马太福音24:42-43）
盗贼若来在你那里，或破坏者夜间而来，你何竟被剪除，他们岂不偷窃，直到够了呢？（俄巴底亚书1:5）
他们蹦上城，蹿上墙，爬进房屋，像盗贼由窗户进去。（约珥书2:9）
他们行事虚谎，盗贼进入，外有群盗骚扰。（何西阿书7:1）
不要积攒财宝在地上，只要积攒财宝在天上，天上没有贼来偷。（马太福音6:19-20）
人之所以必须警醒，并且不知道主什么时候来，是因为他能仿佛凭自己思想和行动，因而照着他的理性而处于自由中，免得有任何恐惧侵入。人若知道那时候，必陷入恐惧。人在自由的状态下所行的会永远存留，而出于恐惧所行的却不能存留。
164. "'I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.'" This symbolically means that the things of which their worship consists will be taken from them, without their knowing when or how.
This says that the Lord will come like a thief because a person engaged in a lifeless worship has the outward good of worship taken from him. For lifeless worship has some good in it, inasmuch as the worshipers think about God and eternal life. Still, good without its truths is nevertheless not good, unless it is merit-seeking or hypocritical, and evils and falsities take that away, like a thief. This occurs progressively in the world, and totally after death, and moreover without the person's knowing when or how.
It is said in attribution to the Lord that He will come like a thief, but in the spiritual sense the meaning is that hell will take something away and rob people of it. The case here is the same as when the Word says that God does evil to a person, lays him waste, takes revenge, becomes wrathful, and leads into trial or temptation, when in fact it is hell that does these things; for it is so stated in accordance with the appearance to mankind.
In Matthew 25:26-30 and Luke 19:24-26 it may be seen that a talent or mina with which a person is to do business is taken from him if does not make a profit by it. To do business and make a profit means, symbolically, to acquire for oneself truths and goods.
[2] Since the taking away of goodness and truth from people engaged in a lifeless worship comes about as though by a thief in the dark, therefore in the Word it is sometimes likened to a thief, as in the following places:
Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked... (Revelation 16:15)
Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come. Know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. (Matthew 24:42-43)
If thieves have come to you, if robbers by night - oh, how you will be cut off! - will they not steal till they have enough? (Obadiah v. 5)
They run to and fro in the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. (Joel 2:9)
They have concocted a lie, and a thief comes, and a mob spreads outside. (Hosea 7:1)
Do not lay up... treasures on earth..., but... in heaven..., where thieves do not come and will not steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)
A person should watch and not know the hour at which the Lord comes in order that he may think and act as though of himself, thus in freedom in accordance with his reason, and not have fear interject anything. For everyone would be fearful if he were to know. Moreover, whatever a person does of himself in freedom remains to eternity, while what he does out of fear does not remain.
164. 'I will come on thee like a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I will come upon thee' signifies that the things that pertain to worship shall be taken away, and that when and how this happens shall not be known. It is said that the Lord 'will come like a thief' because the external good of worship is taken away from the man who is in dead worship; for in dead worship there is something of good, because they think about God and eternal life. Nevertheless good without its own truths is not good, except what is for the sake of recompense or hypocritical, and evils and untruths take this away like a thief. This taking away is done successively in the world, and completely after death, also while the man does not know when and how. That He is going to come like a thief is ascribed to the Lord, but in the spiritual sense it is understood that hell will take and steal it away. This is like its being said in the Word that God does evil to a man, vastates him, takes vengeance, burns with anger, and leads into temptation, when yet hell does these things; for it is so said on account of its appearing in that way before the man. That a man has the talent and pound (mina) for his trading taken away from him if nothing is gained, may be seen (Matthew 25:26-30; Luke 19:24-26). 'To trade and to gain' signifies to furnish oneself with truths and goods.
[2] Since the taking of good and truth away from those who are in dead worship is like [something done] by a thief in the dark, therefore in the Word this is sometimes likened to a thief as in the following:
Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked. Revelation 16:15.
Watch therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord is going to come. Be sure of this, if the householder should know at what hour the thief is going to come, he would certainly be watching, and not suffer his house to be broken into. Matthew 24:42-43.
If thieves come to thee, if destroyers by night (how thou art cut off!), will they not steal till they have enough? Obad. Verse 5
They shall run to and fro in the city, they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses, they shall enter in through the windows like a thief. Joel 2:9.
They fabricate falsehood, and the thief comes, and the troop melts away outside, Hosea 7:1,
Lay up treasures not upon earth but in heaven, where thieves do not come and shall not steal. Matthew 6:19-20.
The reason why a man is going to be watchful and not know the hour at which the Lord comes, is that he may think and act as of himself thus in freedom in accordance with his own reason and that no fear may obtrude, for every one would have fear if he should know; and what the man does of himself in freedom remains to eternity, but what is done as a result of fear does not remain.
164. I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon thee, signifies that the things which are of worship shall be taken away from them, and that they shall not know when and how. It is said that the Lord "will come like a thief," because from the man, who is in dead worship, the external good of worship is taken away. For there is something of good in dead worship, because they think of God and of eternal life; but still good without its truths is not good, but meritorious or hypocritical, and evils and falsities take it away like a thief. This is done successively in the world, and after death fully, and also the man not knowing when and how. It is attributed to the Lord that "He will come like a thief," but, in the spiritual sense, it is meant that hell will take away and steal it. This is similar to its being said in the Word, that God does evil to man, vastates him, avenges, is wrathful, and leads into temptation; when yet hell does them, for it is so said from the appearance before man. That the talent and pound to trade with, is taken away from the man if nothing is gained by it, may be seen in Matthew 25:26-30; Luke 19:24-26. "To trade" and "to gain" signifies to acquire to one's self truths and goods.
[2] Since good and truth are taken away from those who are in dead worship, as if it were done by a thief in the dark, therefore in the Word the same is sometimes likened to a thief, as in the following passages:
Behold, I come as a thief. Happy is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, (Revelation 16:15).
Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord will come. But know this, that if the householder had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through, (Matthew 24:42-43).
If thieves came to thee, if destroyers by night, how wilt thou be cut off, would they not have stolen till they had enough? (Obadiah 1:5).
They shall run to and fro in the city, they shall run upon the wall, they shall go up upon the houses, they shall enter in through the windows like a thief, (Joel 2:9).
They have done a lie, and the thief cometh in, and the troop spreadeth itself without, (Hosea 7:1).
Lay not up treasures upon earth, but in heaven, where thieves do not come nor steal, (Matthew 6:19-20).
The reason why man must watch, and not know the hour in which the Lord cometh, is, that man may think and act as from himself, thus in freedom according to his reason, and lest any fear intrude; for everyone, if he knew, would be in fear; and what man does from himself in freedom remains to eternity; but what he does from fear, does not remain.
164. "Veniam super te sicut fur, et nescies qua hora veniam super te," significat quod auferentur illa quae cultus sunt, et quod hoc nescietur quando et quomodo. - Dicitur quod Dominus "venturus sicut fur," quia homini qui in cultu mortuo est, aufertur externum bonum cultus: est enim in cultu mortuo aliquid boni, quia cogitant de Deo et de vita aeterna; at usque bonum absque suis veris non est bonum, nisi meritorium vel hypocriticum, sed mala et falsa auferunt illud sicut fur; hoc fit successive in mundo, et plane post mortem, et quoque homine nesciente quando et quomodo. Tribuitur Domino quod "venturus sit sicut fur," sed in Sensu spirituali intelligitur quod Infernum auferet et furabitur illud: hoc simile est cum eo, quod in Verbo dicatur quod Deus malum faciat homini, vastet illum, vindicet, excandescat, inducat in tentationem; cum tamen Infernum illa facit; ita enim dicitur ex apparentia coram homine. Quod Auferetur homini talentum et mina negotiationis ejus, si nihil lucratur videatur, (Matthaeus 25:26-30; Luca 19:24-26);
"negotiari" et "lucrari," significat comparare sibi vera et bona. Quoniam ablatio boni et veri ab illis qui in cultu mortuo sunt, fit sicut a fure in tenebris, ideo hoc in Verbo aliquoties assimilatur furi, ut in sequentibus:
"Ecce venio tanquam Fur: beatus qui vigilat et servat vestimenta,ne nudus ambulet," (Apocalypsis 16:15);
"Vigilate ergo, nescitis enim qua hora Dominus vester venturus est: illud cognoscite, si sciret Pater familias qua hora Fur venturus est, vigilaret utique, et non sineret perfodi domum suam," (Matthaeus 24:42-43);
"Si Fures venerint tibi, si eversores noctu, quomodo excisus eris, nonne Furabuntur quod illis satis," (Obadias 1:5); "In urbe discurrent, in muro current, in domos ascendent, per fenestras ingredientur sicut Fur," (Joel 2:9);
"Fecerunt mendacium, et Fur venit, et diffudit se turma foras," (Hoschea 7:1);
"Reponite thesauros non in terra, sed in Caelo, ubi Fures non veniunt, nec Furabuntur," (Matthaeus 6:19-20).
Quod homo vigilaturus sit, et nesciturus horam qua Dominus venit, est ob causam, ut homo sicut ex se cogitet et faciat, ita in libero secundum rationem suam, et ne timor aliquid inferat; timor enim cuivis foret si sciret; et quod homo ex se in libero facit, hoc remanet in aeternum, quod autem ex timore, hoc non remanet.